▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) poses for a photo with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung ahead of their meeting in Hanoi on April 23, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Lee-Vietnam PM

(LEAD) Lee vows to bolster energy, infrastructure cooperation with Vietnam

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest details throughout; CHANGES headline, lead, photo)

By Kim Eun-jung

HANOI, April 23 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in Hanoi on Thursday and pledged to deepen cooperation in nuclear energy, infrastructure and broader energy sectors.

Lee said South Korea aims to serve as a "reliable partner" in supporting Vietnam's development goal of becoming a modern industrialized country by 2030 and a high-income, developed nation by 2045 by upgrading its industrial structure and infrastructure.

"The Korean government will strengthen strategic cooperation with Vietnam in nuclear energy, transportation infrastructure and energy to jointly create the 'miracle of the Hong River,'" Lee said, referring to the main river flowing through Hanoi.

Lee highlighted South Korea's experience of rapid economic growth, driven by intensive investment in nuclear power, transportation networks and transparent financial systems, and expressed hope that bilateral cooperation in those areas would help lay the foundation for Vietnam's continued economic growth.

Hung said Lee's state visit would provide fresh momentum for advancing their countries' bilateral ties and expressed hope for closer cooperation with Seoul to support Vietnam's long-term economic development goals.

The meeting with Hung followed Lee's bilateral summit with Vietnam's top leader To Lam, who serves as state president and general secretary of the Communist Party, the previous day, where the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in various sectors, including supply chains, infrastructure and energy.

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